1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to structures for connecting and grounding a shielded connector and a receiving connector, and more particular to structures in which a shielding layer of a cable can be reliably grounded.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei11-184284 filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
In recent years, with higher speed and higher frequency of transmission signals in electronic devices, it has become more necessary to take measures to fully protect connectors used in the electronic devices from electromagnetic interference (referred to as EMI hereinafter). Especially for cable connectors used for connecting a shielded cable and a circuit board, the structure of the shielding part of the cable connector and the attachment structure of the cable connector around the shielding part are important in these measures because undesired electromagnetic radiation can be suppressed if the shielding layer of the shielded cable can be grounded with low impedance through the shielding part of the cable connector.
In one example, shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a connector 1 is provided with cables 4 which are covered with a shielding shell 3, in a cover 2. A panel connector 5 is U-shaped in cross-sectional view, and is provided on the other side of a conductive panel 6. Contact pins 7 project inside the panel connector 5.
As the connector 1 is inserted to the panel connector 5, the contact pins 7 become inserted to contacts 8 of the connector 1 and the cables 4 become connected to a circuit and so on (not shown). Spring parts 9 are formed extending over a front edge of the cover 2 in the shielding shell 3. The spring parts 9 are kept in contact with the conductive panel 6 when the connector 1 is inserted into the panel connector 5, so that the shielding shell 3 can be grounded to the conductive panel 6 under enough contact pressure to achieve grounding applied by the spring parts. A locking device 10 which can engage the panel connector 5 is provided on one side of the cover 2. This structure is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Hei 7-320816.
However, the prior art described above has a disadvantage that it is easy for the spring part 9 to suffer damage and deformation as a result of hitting other members when the connector 1 is inserted, because the spring part 9 is provided at the front edge of the connector 1 along the direction of insertion. Additionally, it takes a long time to attach the spring part 9, especially because, when the connector 1 is inserted, the attachment must be performed carefully so as not to deform the spring part 9 through contact with the surroundings of the opening formed in the conductive panel 6.
Additionally, the prior art also has another disadvantage that it is difficult to ensure the appropriate value of the contact pressure to achieve grounding, because, in a side of the connector 1 in which the locking device 10 is provided, there is a part in which the spring part 9 cannot be positioned because of space requirements for the locking device 10 and the locking device 10 cannot be provided on both sides, for example, because of miniaturization of the connector 1.
In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention provides structures for connecting a shielded connector and a receiving connector and grounding them, in which a cable can be reliably attached without damage and deformation of the spring parts or spring members, even when the connectors are packaged with high density.
In order to resolve the above-described problem, a structure for connecting a shielded connector and a receiving connector comprises a connector provided with a housing which holds a cable; and a receiving connector attached to a circuit board, which receives the housing so that the cable is electrically connected to the circuit board; wherein the receiving connector has a shroud and a male contact within the shroud, a shielding member connected electrically to a shielding layer of the cable is provided on the outer wall of said housing, a shielding member is provided on the inner wall of the shroud, the surroundings of the cable can be shielded by both of the shielding members when the connector is inserted into the shroud, and contact springs are provided in the shroud to bring about elastic contact between one shielding member and the other shielding member so that both shielding members are electrically connected to each other, and grounding parts for grounding the circuit board which is electrically connected to the shielding member provided in the shroud are formed in the shielding member provided in the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, the shielding member in the shielded connector can make reliable electrical connection with the shielding member in the receiving connector within the shroud by means of contact springs, and the shielding layer surrounding the cable can be reliably grounded to the circuit board through the grounding parts in the shielding member in the receiving connector.
A structure for connecting a shielded connector and a receiving connector comprises a connector provided with a housing which holds a cable; and a receiving connector attached to a circuit board, which receives the housing so that the cable is electrically connected to the circuit board; wherein the receiving connector has a shroud and a male contact within the shroud, a conductive panel which is fixed at the opening edge of the shroud and through the opening of which the connector passes, is provided between the connector and the shroud, a shielding member connected electrically to a shielding layer of the cable is provided on the outer wall of the housing, a shielding member is provided on the inner wall of the shroud, the surroundings of the cable can be shielded by both of the shielding members when the connector is inserted into the shroud, and contact springs are provided in the shroud so as to bring about elastic contact between on shielding member and the other shielding member so that both shielding members are electrically connected to each other, and grounding springs are formed in an extending part of an edge of the shielding member provided in the shroud so that the grounding springs make elastic contact with the rear side of the conductive panel.
As a result of the arrangement described above, when the shielded connector is inserted into the shroud in the receiving connector, the shielding member in the connector can make reliable electrical connection with the shielding member in the receiving connector by means of contact springs and the shielding layer surrounding the cable can be reliably grounded to the conductive panel due to the elastic contact between the grounding springs of the shielding layer in the receiving connector and the conductive panels.
According to another aspect of the present invention a structure for connecting a shielding connector and a receiving connector is provided on the outer wall of the housing with a shell-shape, the shielding member provided on the inner wall of the shroud has a case-shape, the contact springs are provided on the outer wall of the shielding member which has a shell-shape and which covers the housing of the connector, and the contact springs can be in contact with the shield member which has a case-shape and which is provided on the inner wall of the shroud when said connector is inserted into the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, both shielding members can make reliable electrical connection with each other by means of contact springs provided in the shielded connector and the shielding layer surrounding the cable can be reliably grounded to the circuit board through the grounding parts formed in the shielding member in the receiving connector.
In accordance with a further aspect, the present invention has a structure, wherein the shielding member provided on the outer wall of the housing has a shell-shape, the shielding member provided on the inner wall of the shroud has a case-shape, and the contact springs are provided on the shield member which has a case-shape and which is provided on the inner wall of the shroud, the contact springs can be in contact with the outer wall of the shielding member which has a shell-shape and which covers the housing when the connector is inserted into the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, both shielding members can make reliable electrical connection with each other by means of contact springs provided in the shielded connector and the shielding layer surrounding the cable can be reliably grounded to the circuit board through the grounding parts formed in the shielding member in the receiving connector.
Furthermore, an inventive structure has the grounding parts which are formed from extensions of the shielding member provided on the circuit board side of the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, the extensions can be grounded to the circuit board whenever the shroud is installed in the circuit board.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention a shielding member is provided in the shroud as a plate-typed shielding plate, and the shielding plate and the shielding member provided in the connector are arranged to be electrically connected to each other by means of the contact springs which are provided either on the shielding plate or on the shielding member provided in the connector.
As a result of the arrangement described above, the shielding member can be simplified.
Still another feature of the present invention is a structure, wherein the grounding springs which are in contact elastically with the conductive panel are provided on at least one side of the opening edge of the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, grounding can be achieved by means of the minimum number of grounding springs.
The present invention further has a structure, wherein the locking member is provided between the connector and the shroud of the receiving connector and fixes the connector and the shroud of the receiving connector when the connector is inserted into the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, reliable connection between the shielded connector and the receiving connector can be achieved.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, a structure for connecting a shielded connector and a receiving connector has a shielding member provided in the shroud is provided with both said grounding parts and said grounding spring.
As a result of the arrangement described above, the shielding member can be grounded both with the conductive panels and the circuit board.
In the structure for grounding a shield connector and a receiving connector, in accordance with the invention, a connector provided with a housing which holds a cable is inserted into a shroud of the receiving connector attached to a circuit board, which receives the housing so that the cable is electrically connected to the circuit board; wherein a shield layer of the cable is grounded to conductive panels which are fixed tat an opening of the circuit board or the shroud, through the shielding member provided in the housing and the shielding member provided in the shroud.
As a result of the arrangement described above, the shielding layer surrounding the cable can make reliable electrical contact with the circuit board or the conductive panel through the shielded connector and the receiving connector.